


Iridescent Essence

by Kida_K83



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dads of Marmora (Voltron), Even before S3 came out, Families of Choice, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Light Angst, Might add Krolia later on, Nesting, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Scent Marking, Purring, Started Writing this MONTHS ago, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-04-13 19:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14119512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kida_K83/pseuds/Kida_K83
Summary: He should have been more careful. He knew that something was going to go wrong today. Now he was dealing with the consequences.While fighting a druid in an abandoned facility, Keith is knocked into a vat of raw quintessence, kick-starting his Galran genes. He doesn't die, but he may have preferred that outcome at first.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna lay down what this fic will incorporate. This is a genfic, so no romantic pairings. I'll try to include BrOTPs though. Fluff - a lot of fluff. 'Nuff said. Minor angst in the first few chapters as Keith adjusts. Keith deserves all the hugs, so supportive team and BoM.  
> Set sometime after Keith is revealed to be of Galran descent.  
> This is really just an excuse for me to write a Galra Keith story with a/b/o elements, without it actually being an a/b/o verse. Plus I really love Dads of Marmora and 'Team as family', so that's a thing in here too. It's not really a major plot point most times, but Shiro is Keith's adopted brother from before the Kerberos mission. 
> 
> Also Mama Red to the rescue.

Keith lay on his bed, just staring up at the ceiling. He was trying to ignore the headache steadily pulsing behind his eyes, and the growing sense of dread settling in his gut like lead. He groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes to block out the light. Keith lay still for another moment, just breathing slowly.

He was just drifting off when a knock resounded on his door. Keith let out another groan and rolled over, burrowing deeper beneath the sheet. He was hoping that if he ignored the person long enough, they might eventually leave him alone. Another knock came before Keith heard the tell-tale _swoosh_ of his door opening.

"Uh, Keith? You okay? You missed breakfast this morning." Oh, it was Hunk. At least the yellow paladin was talking quietly. Keith rolled back over to face Hunk.

Hunk nearly jumped back in shock, his eyes widening a bit. He squeaked. "K-Keith! Are you okay?! You're really pale." And he was right. With a sickly pallor to his skin and dark bruises beneath his eyes, Keith looked exactly the _opposite_ of healthy. By this point, Hunk had already shuffled over to Keith's bedside, hands hovering as if he wanted to check Keith's temperature. Keith nodded silently and closed his eyes once more. He felt Hunk rest a cool hand against his forehead.

He had the sudden urge to lean into the touch, to chase the pleasant coolness against his heated skin. He only now realized how tired he was, how fuzzy his head felt as if it was stuffed full of cotton.

"You're running a slight fever, Keith. I'll bring up a tray for you to eat something. I'm gonna tell Shiro that you shouldn't train today." As Hunk turned to exit, Keith jumped up with wide eyes and grabbed onto his wrist. Hunk looked down in alarm and used his other hand to stabilize a swaying Keith. "Um, Kei-"

"I'm fine, Hunk. You just can't tell Shiro! He worries too much." The sudden movement had thrown Keith's entire world off balance.

Keith scrunched his eyes closed. The world was spinning and his headache was now pounding against his skull. He raised a hand to rub his temple, while the other hand gripped tight to the sleeve of Hunk's shirt. Once the ache dulled into a more ignorable throb, Keith looked up at Hunk.

The yellow paladin looked at his teammate, an uncertain frown creasing his brows. "Keith...You're really not fine." Hunk paused as Keith's wide, purple-gray eyes stared forlornly up at him. He tried to stay strong, he really did, but he knew he was weak when other people asked something of him. Hunk released a deep sigh. "Okay. I won't tell Shiro..." Keith almost smiled. "But," Keith's almost-smile faded again. "You will stay in here and rest. I will also be bringing up some food and tea. You need to finish everything I give you...And no training today. I'm serious, Keith! No training!"

Properly chastised, all Keith could do was nod at Hunk's instructions, eyes averted to the floor. Hunk sighed in relief that Keith was actually gonna listen to his advice. He helped walk Keith back over to the bed and tuck him in. Keith only huffed in half-hearted irritation, but was content to settle back beneath his blankets.

...

When Hunk returned with the tray, Keith was already in a light doze. Not having the heart to wake the red paladin, Hunk set the tray on the bedside table. When Hunk glanced back at Keith's face, he found hazy, purple eyes staring right back at him. He startled, nearly knocking the tea over. Hunk gripped at his chest, right over where his heart thudded.

He hissed out a breath. "Dude...please don't do that to me." He also forgot how light a sleeper Keith usually was. Keith just blinked uncomprehendingly for a second before giving Hunk a slow nod. Satisfied for now, Hunk helped Keith sit up before handing him a bowl of soup. He had been able to scrounge up some ingredients from the last planet they visited.

When Keith only stared down at the soup in his hands, Hunk cleared his throat. Hunk just crossed his arms and stared at the red paladin expectantly. Understanding that Hunk wasn't going to leave anytime soon, Keith picked up the spoon and ladled some soup into his mouth.

Humming at the burst of flavour, Keith continued sipping at the liquid food.

Content that Keith was now eating something, Hunk sat cross-legged against a nearby wall. Since Keith was occupied, Hunk took the chance to look around the room. Nothing really stood out to him. It looked just like his before he decorated. Keith's room only held the bare essentials - basically what was already in the room from before.

The clink of the spoon against the bowl brought Hunk out of his thoughts. He glanced over to see that Keith had set down the empty bowl in favour of the tea. Hunk could only sigh in exasperation when Keith knocked-back the cup and almost finished the tea in one go.

Hunk stood back up and collected the empty cup from Keith's hands. Picking up the tray, Hunk turned to leave, only pausing to throw a casual "I'll check on you later" over his shoulder.

Keith watched his friend leave as the door _swooshed_ close once more. Alone in the dim light of his room, Keith snuggled down in his blanket to catch a few more minutes of sleep. 'At least my headache's almost gone.'

\------

A few hours later found Keith being thrown to the ground for the sixth time.

"Stop simulation." With the drone deactivated, Keith finally had time to breathe. He laid on his back, just trying to catch his breath. Wiping away the sweat with the back of his arm, he could feel the headache making a reappearance. And the dread he felt from earlier never really settled either. Maybe he should have listened to Hunk and stayed in bed today.

With a pained grunt, Keith pushed himself up into a sitting position. He took in another deep breath-

"Keith?"

-And choked on his spit. He thumped a fist against his chest, erupting into a coughing fit. 'Shiro's gonna find out.' Keith knew that he was in for it now, so with a resigned sigh, he stood up to face Shiro.

When the black paladin stopped right in front of him, Keith couldn't look Shiro in the eyes. Trying to keep the guilt off his face, Keith averted his gaze to just over Shiro's shoulder. He could only imagine how he looked with too pale skin, dishevelled hair, cracked lips, and deep shadows under his eyes.

Shiro just pinched the bridge of his nose above his scar and sighed. Running his fingers through his hair, Shiro cleared his throat to gain Keith's attention. Keith hesitantly shifted his gaze to lock with Shiro's. "I shouldn't even be debating this but...do you feel like you can carry out a mission?"

With a determined stare, a purple flame ignited within his eyes, Keith nodded at Shiro's question. "I'm okay, Shiro. Just a small headache. It shouldn't get in the way."

Already having years of experience dealing with Keith's stubbornness, Shiro chose the path of least resistance - and the one less likely to give him a headache of his own. Another long-suffering sigh slipped past Shiro's lips. "Alright. Just...make sure you be careful. If it gets worse, you turn your Lion around and head right back to bed. No buts, Keith. I'm serious."

Keith nodded in understanding of his leader's words.

"Okay. Get changed and head down to the Bridge for a debriefing."

...

"Keith, I want you, Pidge, and Lance to head down to an abandoned Galra station. You'll need to report what you find in there. It should be a relatively simple mission. Take your respective Lions and head there. Hunk, you're with me. We need to patrol the area while they're inside. Everyone clear?"

Everyone nodded and headed to the Lions' hangar. Hunk lagged behind the others, catching Shiro's attention. The Black Paladin turned to face him. Hunk bit his lower lip and fiddled with his fingers. "Umm, Shiro? Should we really let Keith go out there? He doesn't look any better than he did this morning."

Shiro chose to ignore the fact that Hunk knew Keith was feeling unwell from earlier. "We both know how stubborn Keith can be. If I don't let him go, he's just gonna sneak out and get himself into more trouble." Hunk nodded unsurely but continued on his way to the Yellow Lion's hangar.

Once everyone had been seated in their Lions, Shiro gave the signal to head out.

\------

They had been exploring this base for over an hour now, and still haven't found anything worth reporting about. Pidge had occupied herself with figuring out the Galra's tech in the control room. So here he was, scouring the station with Lance trailing behind. Thankfully, Lance was staying quiet. Now don't get him wrong, Lance was his friend-rival-thing, but his headache had been a constant pulsing in his temples.

He was also feeling unnecessarily paranoid. He just couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was in this base besides them.

A faint yellow glow illuminating the purple walls around them caught Keith's attention. As he sidled up to the room emitting the light, he could feel Lance leaning over his shoulder. Throwing the blue paladin an annoyed look, Keith peeked around the corner. With a cursory glance, he could see shelves upon shelves stocked with containers of a yellow liquid.

He felt an inkling of déjà vu at the back of mind.

Keith was uneasy with this situation. The dread that he felt from earlier hit him with such intensity, he nearly stumbled. Seemingly ignoring Keith's agitated state, Lance practically strutted into the room. Keith stared in disbelief for a second before hissing under his breath, " _Idiot_ ".

When the druid showed up out of literally _nowhere_ , Keith decided that he really should have stayed in bed that day. I mean, he knew that something was going to go wrong today. 'This is why you listen to your instincts, Keith. Good job.'

...

When the third container close to him exploded, Keith was pissed. "Lance! Stop shooting over here or so help me-" Keith was cut off when another glass container broke right next to him. With an enraged yell, Keith threw himself at the druid.

After a few of his swings were dodged, Keith feinted an attack. Seeing the opening, Keith jabbed his sword forward. At the same time, the druid released a concentrated energy blast. The ensuing force of the blow threw Keith into the largest container at the center of the room.

"Keith!"

Glass rained over him as the raw quintessence inside flowed out.

The déjà vu hit him full-force as the liquid drowned him. Unlike the last time this happened, Keith accidentally swallowed some of the quintessence as he struggled to get out of the liquid's hold. Keith choked, his throat felt like it was on fire. His eyes started to water and all he could hear was a loud ringing.

Keith barely registered when Lance pulled him out of the quintessence. He tried to focus on Lance hovering worriedly over him. 'What was he saying?' A roar resounding through his mind disrupted his concentration. 'Red'.

And no sooner that he called her, the Red Lion barrelled through the metal walls of the base, Blue and Green not far behind. Keith was distantly aware that Pidge had arrived at some point and had placed her hand on his shoulder.

Lance carefully scooped Keith up in his arms. Trying not to jostle Keith, both Pidge and Lance hurried into the Red Lion when she lowered her head and opened her mouth. Setting Keith in the pilot's chair and strapping him in, Pidge and Lance held onto either side of the chair as Red sped back to the Castle-ship.

Keith was now light-headed, a cold-sweat having broken out. A wave of nausea that he had to swallow down nearly overcame him. He knew in the back of his mind that shock might be setting in.

A worried purr echoed through their bond. Keith attempted a small smile, resting a hand on Red's console to comfort her. 'It's okay, girl. I'll be fine...probably.' Keith allowed the encroaching darkness take his consciousness.

Red roared in distress and flew faster.

...

"Shiro! He's not waking up and Red's freaking out! What do we do?" Lance was about to follow Red's lead and freak out himself.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lance! Just get Keith to a healing pod as soon as possible. Hunk and I will meet you in Red's hangar." With that, the three paladins were left in an agonizing silence.

Pidge spared a glance to her teammate, only to find Lance visibly shaking, eyes darting around in quiet agitation. "Uhh, Lance? You o-"

"It's okay, Pidge. Just stay calm. Keith will be _fine_. Don't panic!"

She deadpanned. "Lance, you're the only one who's panicking."

Lance quieted down and looked at Pidge. Though her brow was pinched in obvious concern, she wasn't on the verge of hysterics. Keith was unconscious so he didn't count. Lance blew out a long sigh to settle his frayed nerves. 'Okay Lance...you're fine. You're better than this. Remember to keep a level head. Panicking won't help anyone.'

His gaze met Pidge's when he turned to face her. His eyes still held a gleam of unease, but his expression had smoothed out some. "Thanks. I'm calm and collected. No need to worry about me." He shot a sparkling grin and two finger-guns in her direction.

Pidge just rolled her eyes in mild exasperation. 'And there he is. The old Lance is back.' She wouldn't admit it to him, but she was pleased that he could still joke around with her. Sure the situation was dire, but there was nothing they could do right now, so no reason to brood over it. Pidge pushed her glasses higher up her nose and glanced ahead. The Castle of Lions was now insight.

She glimpsed Keith's limp form from the corner of her eye. Her hand clenched tighter on the back of the pilot's chair, resolve tightening her expression and gripping her heart. They were going to save Keith.

He was going to survive this.

\------

Shiro stared worriedly at Keith's still figure in the healing pod. He had been sitting here for hours now, not knowing what to think about the situation before him. Could this whole mess be his fault? He knew Keith wasn't feeling the greatest, but he still allowed him to go. Could he have prevented this from happening? Or better yet, could he have _stopped_ Keith?

Shiro shook his head. That wasn't gonna happen. Keith could have a single-minded focus on something and _nothing_ would stop him.

"Hmmm..." A perturbed hum brought Shiro out of his reverie. He glanced over his shoulder where Coran had been typing away on the center console for the past few hours. The Altean had been trying to diagnose what could be happening to Keith. Other than some bruises and deep cuts from broken glass, there seemed to be nothing _physically_ wrong with the red paladin.

The black paladin did not like that expression on Coran's face at all. "Did you find anything?" Coran just glanced up at Shiro for a moment before looking back at the display. His brows were pinched, his eyes squinting in concentration. Coran just slowly shook his head and stood up straight.

Twisting his moustache between two fingers, Coran gave Shiro a pensive look. "I am not too sure what the readings are telling me, but they certainly look out of the ordinary. Then again, I'm not exactly an expert in this field. The information to use these medical instruments has been lost during our cryo-sleep. I will just have to monitor the pod's vital readings." With a firm nod, Coran turned his attention back to the console's screen.

Shiro just sighed quietly and turned back to Keith. He stared at Keith's chest for a moment, waiting for the teen to take a breath. When Keith's chest finally rose and fell again, Shiro released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Keith's complexion was even paler than that morning, clammy and sallow, the shadows beneath his eyes standing out in stark relief. His brows furrowed even in sleep as if in pain.

...

Keith stayed unconscious within the confines of the pod for three days. Though there was no dramatic change with his vital readings, the team had noticed something...different. Even nigh comatose, Keith would grit his teeth sometimes, the hint of what looked like fangs would be revealed for a moment. He would also clench his fists often. The nails on his fingers would frequently cut into the skin on his palms and make them bleed.

The pod always fixed up the damage, but the team was getting concerned.

Coran had a theory on what may be happening, only telling Shiro for his input until he was more certain. The Altean, after scrutinizing the data received from the pod, suspected that the quintessence kick-started the expression of Keith's latent Galra genes.

...

His mind felt as if it was in a fog, his eyes heavy and unwilling to heed his demand to open. Before he could figure out where he was, he heard a distinctive _whoosh_ and felt a sudden chill before he was free falling. For a moment, Keith thought he was gonna hit the ground.

A pair of arms caught him and pulled him against a warm chest. Keith inhaled deeply and immediately regretted it. A startled cough wracked his frame. Keith's body shook with exertion and his throat burned. He took a shallow breath and leaned back against the person's chest. The feeling of pins-and-needles had spread throughout the entirety of his body.

"-eith? Hey, Keith! How are you feeling?" Keith struggled to open his eyes. When he finally managed, he had to squint against the room's lights. His eyes stung and were watering a bit.

With some difficulty, Keith managed to sluggishly turn his head to face Shiro, who he also just noticed that he was leaning against. He absentmindedly noted the presence of the others, standing not too far.

"Keith?" He realized that he must have just been staring for a while. Keith opened his mouth and closed it again. His brows furrowed in slight confusion. His mouth felt fuzzy and his tongue felt unusually heavy. There was also a constant ringing in his ears.

How come he didn't notice it earlier?

Coran came into his line of sight and crouched in front of him. "Number 4? I'm just going to give you a quick check-up. Okay?" Keith stared for a bit before slowly nodding. Coran gave the paladin a bright smile and pulled out a bag of medical supplies, snapping on a pair of latex gloves.

"Can you please open your mouth and stick out your tongue?" Keith complied as best as he could, the process slow-going though. Coran pressed something like a popsicle stick on his tongue and used the Altean equivalent of a flashlight to peer at the back of his throat. For now, he chose to resolutely ignore the sharpened canines gleaming dangerously in the light. "Hmm, your throat looks a bit inflamed and your tongue is swollen."

Coran then shone the light in Keith's eyes. Not expecting it, Keith jumped back into Shiro, hissing a bit. "Sorry, my boy. Didn't mean to startle you. I just want to check your eyes."

Keith blinked rapidly to clear the spots of light dancing in his vision. With a soft grunt, he opened his eyes and let Coran examine them. His eyes were watering and were starting to itch. "The iris is slightly red. I'll get you something to relieve any discomfort and to bring down your tongue's swelling."

"Hey Keith. You feeling okay?" Keith looked up to find Hunk nervously wringing his hands. Doing his best to calm the yellow paladin, Keith nodded his head and attempted a smile. It didn't come out quite right, but Hunk seemed pleased with the effort anyhow.

Pidge came out of nowhere and crouched in front of him, a shit-eating grin already planted on her face. "Yo. I'm glad you're out of the pod. But you should have seen Lance! He was freaking out the entire time! Wish you were awake to see it." Here she got closer, ignoring Lance's indignant spluttering and denials in the background. Lowering her voice, she let a devious gleam brighten her eyes. "Don't worry though. I got it on video. What you say about a little... _blackmail_? Hmm?"

Keith couldn't stop the amused snort from escaping. Pidge gave him a victorious smirk while dutifully pretending to listen to Shiro's lecture that she shouldn't blackmail her fellow paladins.

Lance sidled up to Keith's side. Keith opened an eye briefly to glance at him before closing it once more. Still, Keith was curious as to what happened after he passed out. "What...happened to the druid?"

"Well, you kinda skewered him on your sword like a shish kabob. Then Red _literally_ brought the house down and destroyed the facility in a rage while you were in the pod. So all-in-all, the creep is probably dead."

Keith was satisfied with the answer, so he let his mind wander.

After a few minutes, he noticed Lance just keeping quiet as the other paladins were promptly distracted. Keith lethargically turned his head to face Lance, raising an eyebrow in silent question. Lance heaved a deep sigh, fidgeting in place. "So...you're okay now? You're not gonna fall over and die on me, right?" A glare was the only response he got. Lance laughed at the death stare he was given. Wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, Lance shot Keith a confident smirk. "Good. Who else would be my rival if you were gone?"

Keith just huffed and rolled his eyes in fond exasperation, relaxing further against Shiro's broad torso as he started feeling drowsy once more.

\------

Keith was hoping that would have been the end of that.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Keith was tired more often than not, so he slept...a lot. And when he wasn't sleeping, he was in constant pain. Though his tongue swelling had finally gone down, the ringing in his ears never did stop. To add insult to injury, he got random aches around his body with his lower back being a major source of discomfort. Nose bleeds were also a frequent occurrence.

Some days, even just making it down to the dining hall to eat with his team was a chore.

Keith was just tired of it all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter. 
> 
> Not sure when the third chapter will be published, though. Probably sometime in the next two weeks.

Lance knocked on Keith's room door. After a minute of silence, he knocked again.

There was still no response.

Lance sighed and pressed the button on the wall panel. The door slid opened with a quiet _hiss_ of air. Lance stepped into the darkened room, then flipped on the nearby switch. The room was instantly illuminated, revealing the empty bed. He even peeked into the bathroom only to turn up empty.

He turned off the lights and backed out of the room, the door closing behind him.

'Okay, he _must_ be on the training deck then.' With his mind made up, Lance started off down the hall towards the arena on the lower floors.

The sounds of battle could already be heard down the hall as he approached the double doors. The doors slid apart as Lance peeked around the doorframe. A pout settled on his face as he realized it was only Shiro. Lance stepped further into the room as Shiro punched the training bot's head clear off its shoulders.

The room's two occupants froze in their positions as the training bot fell to its knees, then shattered into fragments of light. 

With the simulation over, Shiro pulled back his still extended right arm, flexing his prosthetic fingers to test the mobility. Satisfied with his examination, Shiro turned towards Lance still standing in front of the door. "Lance, you needed me for something?"

Lance followed behind Shiro as he walked over to a bench. "Yeah, I was looking for Keith. No one's seen him since last night, and he didn't come down for breakfast. I was nominated to go check on him."

Shiro picked up his towel, wiping the sweat from his face, before setting it around his neck. He turned to face Lance, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, "Really? I saw him earlier this morning. He said he was still tired since waking up from the pod. I thought he would have been in his room sleeping."

"I already looked. He wasn't there." Lance sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in slight frustration. "Where else could he-", Lance cut himself off as an idea popped into his mind.

If Keith wasn't in his room, there was only one other place he could possibly be.

Lance snapped his fingers as realization hit him. "The Red Lion's Hangar!" Lance sprinted out of the room, only pausing long enough to throw a quick 'thanks' over his shoulder at Shiro. The black paladin just shook his head in fond exasperation, throwing the towel back on the bench and starting up the training simulation once more.

Lance continued jogging till he arrived at the hangars. He slowed his pace as he headed towards the area that the Red Lion resided in. 

The Red Lion was perched regally like the proud lioness that she was. 

And low and behold, there was Keith, situated comfortably between her outstretched forepaws. Red had her head resting on the ground. Keith, wrapped in a thick mound of blankets, was resting against the side of her snout.

Lance crept closer, Red watching his movements all the while, but not interfering. When he managed to get closer, Lance could see that Keith had his eyes closed; his breathing slow and rhythmic.

'Ah, he's asleep. Guess Shiro was right then.'

Lance crouched down in front of Keith, reaching out to shake his shoulder gently. Keith groaned quietly under his breath, barely managing to open one eye. Keith focused his bleary gaze on Lance. He sighed deeply, taking a moment to sit up properly. He yawned. "Yeah?"

"You okay, Keith? You missed breakfast, and you're looking a bit pale. Well, more than usual at least." 

Keith cracked a small smile at the jab, rolling his eyes good-naturedly before the smile dropped. A tired expression resided upon his face. Lance stared worriedly, lowering himself to sit on the floor next to Keith, leaning up against one of Red's paws. Lance patted her claw, Red just huffing in amusement before resting her head against Keith's thigh.

They settled into a companionable silence for a moment.

"Shouldn't you be in bed if you're so tired?" Lance could see that Keith was starting to drift off again. Keith startled out of his light doze. 

He looked at Lance. "I was talking with Red. She was worried about me, so I came down here earlier this morning to keep her company. Must have dozed off at some point."

"Want me to bring you something to eat?"

Keith just shook his head sluggishly, a yawn breaking free. "Nah. I'm not feeling very hungry." Lance furrowed his eyebrows, concern obvious in his expression. Keith cut him off, already knowing what he was going to say, "And thanks. I promise I'll get something to eat later. I just haven't had much of an appetite lately."

"Alright, I'll let Hunk know to prepare something for you."

Keith leaned against Red again, another yawn escaping him. He closed his eyes, pulling the blankets up to his nose. "Thanks, Lance." He murmured, almost instantly falling into a light sleep.

Lance clambered to his feet as quietly as possible, making sure that Keith stayed asleep. It looked like his teammate _really_ needed the rest. Lance rested one hand on Red's snout, staring into the golden glow of her eyes. "I'll leave him in your capable paws then." He whispered. Red just purred softly, the glow of her eyes dimming as she entered a low-power state.

Lance left the hangars, returning to the upper decks to report his findings.

\------

It didn't take long for the symptoms to start.

His skin would itch and he would shiver constantly, even when the Castle-ship's temperature was the same as always. An incessant feeling sent chills down his spine, as though he was no longer comfortable in his own skin, in the body that he had grown up in and believed was the one he rightfully belonged in.

Some days, the pain in his lower back was excruciating. Those days, Keith couldn't move as if paralysis was setting in. In those times, his body would lock-up on him. All he could do was ride it out, gritting his teeth and breathing as deeply as he could, lying still on the floor. He was just hoping that his team wouldn't ever see him like that.

At some point, the ever-present ringing in his ears had become mere white noise in the background, still there but able to be ignored. Sometimes, he couldn't hear anything at all. 

It happened once while he was talking to Pidge. He glanced over at her to ask why she stopped talking, and he froze in shock. Her lips were still moving, but he just couldn't _hear_ the words. She must have seen his expression 'cause she frowned worriedly at him. He could read what she said next, 'are you okay?'. 

He just nodded, hoping the deafness was only temporary.

Though he tried his best not to worry his team, he should have known that someone was going to catch on sooner or later. Coran had called him into the med bay a week after he got out of the healing pod. Just seeing Shiro's grim expression probably should have been warning enough.

...

When Keith walked into the med bay, he was greeted with the sight of Hunk and Coran typing away at the central console. Shiro stood off to the side, merely observing the goings-on. Hunk looked up at the sound of the door opening and greeted him with a smile. Keith relaxed a bit at the familiar greeting and headed towards the two.

"So...uh, you needed me?" Keith rubbed his arm awkwardly.

Coran perked up with a disarming smile. "Yes, my boy. I just need you to sit on the examination table and we'll begin. Hunk will also be assisting me as he excels in biology."

Keith nodded and turned. After making himself comfy on the metal table, he looked expectantly towards the others. Hunk pulled over a hovering medical tray with various tools and syringes on it. As Hunk put on some latex gloves, Coran came to stand before Keith.

"Now Keith, I'll need you to take off your shirt so I can examine you. Hunk will also be drawing some blood from you." Keith just did as told, knowing he wasn't going to get out of this situation. They probably expected him to be stubborn so they called in Shiro for backup.

With his shirt off and his skin exposed, Keith felt uncomfortable under the other three's heavy gazes. They could see some purple spots scattered over his chest like freckles. After a moment of silence, no one making any moves, Coran picked up a flashlight and tongue depressor. As if that was his cue, Hunk snapped on the glove and reached for some gauze pads to disinfect the site he would draw blood from.

Coran in the meantime checked his throat, humming thoughtfully once he saw the inflammation had cleared up, and checked his eyes and ears. Hooking Keith up to a contraption, wires being stuck to Keith's chest, back and temples, Coran monitored and recorded his vital signs. 

They weren't sure what they were gonna do with all this information, but it was nice to have it in case of an emergency. 

After the examination was over, Keith threw his shirt back on. He sat back and just watched the two get to work. Shiro came over, leaning against the table. The two fell into a companionable silence, the only sounds in the room being the clicking of keys, their soft breathing, and the mumbled conversation between Hunk and Coran.

...

The entirety of the team was called down to the med bay the next day to discuss what would be happening. As they all gathered around, Hunk went to stand behind the console with Coran. Coran clapped to gain everyone's attention. "I've called you all here so that we can give you the results of Keith's testing."

"And? What did you find?"

Coran shared a quick glance with Hunk and allowed him to explain. "Um, well it's not anything life threatening at least." He gave a sheepish smile before it faded into a small frown. That caught everyone's attention, especially Keith's. "From what I could understand and what Coran translated for me, the machine's results were a bit worrying. It seems the quintessence is forcing your galran genes to become the dominant genotype. Your appearance will probably be altered as a result." He locked gazes with Keith and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, buddy. That's...probably not what you wanted to hear."

Everyone took a minute to just absorb this new information, before turning their eyes on their red paladin. Keith said nothing for a moment, just breathing silently as he gazed at the floor. He looked back up at Hunk with a wry smile twisting his features. His soft laugh rang hollow in everyone's ears. "Heh...guess you were right before."

Everyone looked confused for a second before Hunk spoke up. “A-About what?"

"Guess my skin is gonna turn purple after all."

At Hunk's shocked expression, Keith turned his gaze to the others in the room. Pidge and Lance were giving him sympathetic looks, and Shiro had walked over, slinging an arm over his shoulder and tugging him into his side as a silent support. 

Then Keith locked gazes with Allura.

Her eyes softened at his vulnerable expression. She understood immediately. Though they had already cleared the bad air after his galran heritage was first revealed, he at least still _looked_ human then, still looked like _Keith_. He was afraid that she would turn her back on him now that he would actually have the appearance of their enemies.

"This won't change anything, Keith." Her voice was gentle, as if afraid to scare him away. "I now know that there are galra out there that I consider my allies."

And just a little, Keith allowed his tensed shoulders to drop in relief.

\------

Keith had noticed a few oddities about himself as of recent. Though his tongue had stopped swelling, it now felt rough against the roof of his mouth, the texture almost like sandpaper. And all of his teeth got sharper - he nearly cut his tongue on them - especially seeing how his four canine teeth were nearly three centimeters long. He knew his teeth were always a bit longer than the average human's, but this was ridiculous.

His nails had gotten longer as well, tapering off to a point that were reminiscent of claws.

Luckily for Keith, he found a nail clipper in his jacket pocket from when he left Earth. _Un_ luckily, the nail clipper broke and his fingernail came out of the struggle unscathed. On the bright side, at least if he doesn’t have his bayard or dagger on him, he still won’t be completely defenseless. 

_That was a sobering thought._

And possibly the worst symptom would be the light purple patches that would cover a large portion of his skin. Of course, Keith could have just said that they were bruises, but since everyone knows what he's going through, he figures it would just be a wasted effort. 

...Actually, maybe he _could_ wear longer sleeves. It wouldn't be a lie if he said he was cold.

\------

Keith woke with a gasp, a sharp pain traveling down his spine.

Trying to breathe through the pain, Keith focused his attention elsewhere. The room was still pitch black, but his eyes burned and watered as if light was shone directly into them. 

Both his hands and feet had a pins-and-needles sensation running through them. 

It felt as if his stomach was doing flips inside his body as he desperately tried to swallow down his sudden nausea. 

Another pain in his lower back had him gasping for air. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to hold back any screams. It seems even his teeth were hypersensitive right now. 

Waves of pain continued to wash over him. For what felt like hours, Keith lay paralyzed as he rode it out.

When the torment momentarily subsided, Keith started panting. Though he was shivering from cold sweat, the usually cool room now felt stifling. Struggling to throw off his blankets, he felt a sudden fatigue wash over him. His now numb limbs falling like lead to the bed.

In the quiet of his room, his rasping breaths as his only companion, Keith could hear the constant pounding of his heart, the blood rushing in his ears. 

Another explosion of pain caught him off guard. Just barely, he managed to muffle his pained cries into his pillow. 

His body convulsed briefly before he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing you were part Galra, and completely turning into one, were two entirely different cases that he never imagined he would have to face.

That morning, when Keith rolled out of bed to stand, he fell flat on his face. He lay there in confusion for a moment. On top of being completely sore from the transformation, his center of gravity had suddenly shifted. 

He tried pushing himself up on his elbows when he noticed it. Both of his arms were completely coated in a thin layer of lilac coloured fur. Darker purple stripes wrapped around his upper biceps and the back of his clawed hands. 

He looked across the room to the full body mirror leaning against a wall - Lance found it somewhere in the ship and just shoved it at him with a disapproving look. He never did use it until now. 

He peered at his face covered in fur, to his glowing yellow eyes, then further up to the large triangular ears perched on top of his head. He just stared unblinkingly for a minute before reaching up a hesitant hand. No longer did he have human ears on the sides of his skull. As he slid his hand up from his jaw to his hair, all he could feel was the fur now covering his skin.

The ears were also a lilac shade with darker coloured stripes at the base. The tips were a shade between the lilac of his fur and the dark purple of his stripes. They were incredibly soft to the touch and twitched as his fingers brushed against them. 

Keith jerked his hand back as if he had been burned. He watched and felt them twitch and swivel in different directions. He could hear the soft breathing of all his teammates in their nearby rooms. It was all slightly disconcerting. 

He glanced down at his hands. The skin of his palms and the tips of his fingers had pads on them. He poked the purple-hued pads with the point of his claw. It...was actually really soft. Kinda fun to play with actually.

When Keith felt something soft brush against the pads of his foot, he risked a glance back. To his horror, a long purple tail was connected to the end of his tailbone, right above the waistband of his pajama pants. 

The extra limb had smooth fur running down its length. It was the same lilac colour as the rest of his body with darker purple stripes banding the entire length. There was a fluffy tuft at the end with the tips of the tuft being the same shade as the tips of his ears. 

He resisted the urge to touch it; no matter how soft it looked. 

Keith tried again to stand with the same result. His balance kept shifting too much in either direction. He'd always heard that cats relied on their tails to stay balanced. Maybe that now applied to him? He concentrated for a moment to still his tail. Once he succeeded, he pulled himself up into a crouch, both hands braced against the floor to hold him up. 

Proud of himself for the small achievement, he shakily raised his hands off the floor, now just sitting on the balls of his also furry, striped, and clawed feet. 

He heaved a deep breath and pushed himself slowly up into a standing position. Once up, he stood still for a moment, trying to regain a sense of balance. Keeping his tail still behind him, he took a step forward. 

He swayed a bit. 

A bit more confident since he hadn't kissed the floor again, he took another shaky step. He walked in a circle to further acclimatize himself. 

Assured for the moment that he was no longer swaying as he walked, he brought his tail into the equation. Letting his tail do as it pleased, he continued walking in a circle. 

His tail suddenly swung to the right and he toppled over on his side. Luckily, he didn't hit his head against the hard floors, but his pride may have taken the brunt of the hit. Keith clambered back onto his feet and tried again. It took him a few tries, but he could finally walk steadily with his tail acting as a counterbalance. 

With this relearned skill, Keith walked over to the wall by the door and flicked on the lights. He then strode back over to his mirror. He removed his shirt and pants, looking closer at his reflected image. 

Like the rest of his body, his torso was coated with the thin, downy fur. Around his neck, to his shoulders, and peeking out around his rib cage, were more stripes. 

Since he was only in his boxers, he could see the stripes that patterned the fur of his upper thighs. He turned his back to the mirror, looking over his shoulder. From the back of his neck, all the way down to the tuft of his tail were large stripes. 

Keith wondered why he had such prominent stripes when he had never seen them on any of the other Galra. 

Turning back around, he looked back up to his face. Now that the lights were on, Keith could see that his eyes weren't entirely yellow as he first thought. He no longer had distinct irises, and his sclera was a pale yellow. His pupils were an amethyst shade now and slitted like a cat's. 

Keith heaved a deep sigh, running a clawed hand through tousled hair, mindful of his new ears. 

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

Sure the team knew that he was undertaking a slow transformation, but would they be so understanding when he walked out looking like this? There was no possible way that he could hide his appearance. And don't even get him started on the tail. 

Nothing was alright with this situation, but what could he do?

When the alarm sounded in his room, Keith mentally cursed at his luck. Did there really need to be a fight this early in the day? _And right at this moment?_ Heaving a long-winded sigh, Keith reached into his closet for his paladin uniform.

Putting on his pants was harder than he thought. Glancing back at the swaying limb, he scowled at it in frustration. 'How the heck am I gonna hide this?'

With no way to hide it in his skin-tight suit, he simply wrapped the appendage around his waist like a belt. Concentrating hard enough, Keith managed to flatten his ears to his skull. With that done, he jammed on his helmet and darkened the visor.

Now as ready as he'll ever be, Keith took a step towards the door and nearly fell flat on his face. Recovering from that stumble, Keith straightened and looked down in confusion. Nothing was in front of him, so what happened? He took another step and wobbled a bit. It felt as if his centre of balance had shifted again.

Then it clicked.

'I guess it still didn't occur to me how much my tail threw me off earlier.'

Keith clicked his tongue in mild irritation but powered on towards the red lion's hanger.

Though it took him a lot longer than normal, stumbling as he was wont to doing and avoiding Coran and Allura, he was finally seated at his lion's controls. Guiding Red away from the castle, he caught up with the others as they headed towards the incoming fleet.

"Hey Keith, you doing okay? You're always one of the first ones out here." Shiro's voice held a note of concern. He could hear the others asking him the same question in the background. Keith sighed under his breath. He should have known better. Of _course_ his team noticed something odd going on. 

They always do. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me right now." Oh God, did his voice really sound that bad? With how coarse it sounded, he knew Shiro was gonna get on his case.

Shiro just gave a hum of disbelief. Keith tried not to feel too guilty about making his brother worry, instead concentrating on taking down another galran ship.

...

Though the battle lasted quite a while, they thankfully did not have to resort to forming Voltron. Keith wasn't sure if he would be able to properly mind meld with the team right now.

Keeping his intercom's screen off, even at his teammates concerned begging, was starting to stress Keith out. He knew that everyone just wanted to make sure that he was fine, especially after taking a hit during the battle, but he just couldn't bring himself to see his team's reaction to his current state. Maybe eventually, but now certainly wasn't the right time.

"Keith! Let me in!" Shiro was practically frantic now.

"I'm okay, Shiro."

"Are you trying to h-"

Already knowing what Shiro was about to say, Keith cut him off. "No, I'm not trying to hide any injuries from you. I really am okay. I...I just need some time alone." Keith shrunk back in his seat, pulling up his legs and wrapping his arms around them. Red purred quietly through their link.

"...Yeah. Yeah sure thing, Keith. If you need me, I'll be on the main deck." Shiro glanced up at the red lion, secretly hoping that Keith would still be getting out despite his words. Heaving a quiet sigh, he turned around and headed for the door. Seeing the curious looks on the other three's faces, he just shook his head, frowns now marring their features. He ushered them out.

With one last look back, he allowed the doors to close behind him.

Inside of Red's cockpit, Keith tossed off his helmet. With his ears now free from the constricting feeling, and his tail unwound from his waist, he could finally heave a sigh of relief. He leaned his head back against the chair and blew out a puff of breath.

Keith closed his eyes and tried to think of any solutions to this problem. After several minutes of silence, and no answers forthcoming, he gave up. "Red, what should I do?"

She growled soothingly and an image of everyone popped up in his mind. He chuckled and opened his eyes. Leaning over in his seat, he rested his hand on her console. Of course she would tell him to just talk to his team; he really shouldn't have expected anything else. 

Red purred louder in response to his amusement, the sound reverberating within his chest. It filled him with a calming warmth, his heart and mind momentarily at peace. He gave a gentle pat to the console and stood up from his chair.

"Thanks, Red. I promise I'll tell them soon. I just need a little more time."

After she let him out, Red gave an admonishing growl but nuzzled him anyway. He gave her muzzle a quick hug in a silent gesture of gratitude.

Now that he was out in the hanger, he could hear the unmistakable sound of someone breathing on the other side of the door. He bet that it was probably Pidge and Lance thinking that they could ambush him once he walked out.

He would be thankful that his ears could help him to avoid that situation if they weren't a part of the problem in the first place. 

Thinking fast, Keith looked over to a nearby vent. If he could get up to it, he could navigate his way up to his secret spot. The problem was that it was at least eight feet off the ground. Looking around for anything to climb on, Keith suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"Hey Red? You mind helping me?" He gave her a hopeful smile. She merely looked at him, her tail slapping against the floor. He could swear she was giving him an unimpressed look.

"Please, Red? I already promised you I would talk to them, just...just not right now. Please?" He unconsciously pulled back his ears, his tail drooping to match his expression. After a moment where neither moved, Red gave a huff and stood back up. She walked over towards him and crouched down low.

Climbing onto her snout before she could change her mind, he gave her a nod once he was secured. She raised her head to be eye-level with the open vent. Keith crawled in and peeked over his shoulder to see her looking in. "Thanks again. I appreciate this."

Red huffed in amusement at her paladin's antics. She sent him off with another gentle purr across their bond before turning to rest within her hanger.

...

Now that he was in, he could safely make his way up to the most upper level of the castle without being seen. Good thing he had the foresight to map out all routes into and out of rooms around the castle, going as far as to make a blueprint of the castle's ventilation system.

He made his way first towards his room. 

Once over the dresser in the corner, he dropped down into a crouch. Keeping still, he listened for anyone around. When the coast was clear, Keith made quick work of climbing down from the dresser. He first changed out of his paladin outfit into a more comfortable pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Gathering up the spare blanket from the closet and a granola bar from his secret stash, he headed back into the vents.

Now with the secured goods, Keith steadily made his way to a specific room on the uppermost floor. When he first found this room, like all the other rooms on this floor, it felt as if they had been abandoned. Forgotten in a sense. With everyone's needs taken care of on the lower floors, there was really no reason to come up here.

Even Keith generally didn't come up here. It was usually only when he needed a reprieve from reality or when his nightmares got especially out of hand. This room became his safe haven on those nights that he felt too guilty to wake Shiro up. He knew Shiro suffered from night terrors too; he would not take away the precious hours that his brother finally got a peaceful rest.

He set his blanket onto a mound of pillows pushed into a nearby corner - they were all stolen from the nearby rooms. Keith settled down on the fluffy mass and just closed his eyes. He needed to think of his next move.

...Okay, so Shiro would _definitely_ have to be his first stop. There's no way he could _not_ tell him first. Shiro had always been there when he needed him most, his deepest confidant. He could deal with the others when he got there.

His mind made up, Keith decided to go seek out Shiro... _right after a quick nap_.

\------

Using the ventilation shaft once more, Keith made his way down to Shiro's room. Crawling out of the vent, he looked around. Since no one else was in there at the moment, Keith made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed.

He was absentmindedly playing with his tail when the sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to someone's presence. The door _swooshed_ open and there Shiro stood. He looked tired and he heaved a deep sigh. 

The black paladin took one step into the room before he froze.

All he could see in the shadows of his room were a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Shiro immediately activated his right arm, the harsh mauve glow of the galra tech barely illuminating the figure. He was about to lunge at the figure when something stopped him-

"Shiro?" That familiar voice gave Shiro pause. The vulnerable undertones in just saying his name made him hesitate. Shiro reached blindly along the wall with his left hand, never taking his eyes off the other. When his hand bumped into the switch, the room was flooded with light.

He let his eyes adjust for a second, lowering his right arm and straightening from his fight stance. "Keith?" The figure before him, now revealed in the light, certainly looked like Keith...just a lot more _purple_. "You scared the crap out of me."

Keith's ears flicked back as he hesitantly stood from the bed. Like this, his tail now came into view. Shiro's eyes followed its movements for a moment before looking back up at Keith's face. "Uh, yeah, sorry. It...It's me."

Shiro took a step closer, then another, until he was only a few inches away from his younger brother. He reached out with a tentative hand, letting it hover by Keith's cheek. When Keith gave no indication of moving away, Shiro let his left hand rest on the other's cheek. Keith tensed briefly before he leaned into the tender touch, encouraging Shiro. The black paladin could feel the silky texture of the fur. He brushed a thumb along the curve of Keith's cheekbone. 

"Oh Keith." His voice concerned. "I'm not going to ask if you're okay, that's always been a stupid question in these sort of situations," Shiro smiled slightly when he heard Keith's amused snort. "But how do you feel right now?"

"Honestly, I...I don't really know how to feel right now. I guess I'm taking it a lot better than I thought I would? I haven't had a major freakout yet, so that's always a plus." Here, he gave Shiro a helpless shrug. "I guess I'm just more worried about what you and the others would think."

"You should already know by now that this wouldn't change how I see you. You're still the same reckless, little brother I adopted all those years ago." He ruffled Keith's hair, mindful of the ears swiveling on his head. He smirked playfully. "Nice ears by the way."

Keith ducked his head immediately. He didn't know if a blush could be seen through the fur, but he wasn't going to give Shiro the satisfaction if it did, _the smug bastard_.

Shiro let his hand drop, the smile fading some. Keith looked up when he sensed the change. "You do know that the others wouldn't abandon you either, right? They're not going to care that you look a bit different now."

"I know that already! I know...But I still can't get rid of the thought that they're gonna be like everyone else in my life. That they're suddenly gonna think that I'm not worth it and leave me." Keith's eyes were glassy from unshed tears.

Shiro pulled the younger into a tight hug. Keith gripped the back of Shiro's shirt, but no tears fell. He relaxed into his brother's embrace, relishing in the comfort. Shiro rested his chin on top of Keith's head, a furry ear brushing across his cheek. "It's okay to feel like this, Keith. You already know in your heart that the others would never turn their backs on you. We're all here to support you. You just need to trust us."

Keith remained silent for a moment, just listening to the steady beat of Shiro's heart. "Okay...I trust you."

"That's all I ask."

They stayed embracing for a while longer, just enjoying each other's company, when Keith pulled away. "So uh, earlier when you came in...I actually didn't realize how dark it was until you turned on the light. I could see everything in the room, it just looked like it was dimly lit in here. Is that weird?"

Shiro just stared stoically at him, Keith starting to squirm from the intensity until Shiro cracked a small smile. "Guess this now means we can send you on missions where it's dark. Useful, indeed." Keith pretended to be annoyed but nothing could hide the smile on his face. Shiro just playfully ruffled Keith's hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU, Keith was constantly moved around from foster home to foster home after his father vanished. None kept him for long due to 'behavioural issues'. Poor Keith developed abandonment issues, never understanding why his mother was never there, and why his father suddenly left him alone. He latched onto Shiro when they were neighbours. Eventually, Shiro unofficially adopted Keith as his little brother and the rest is history. Of course, Shiro disappearing on the Kerberos mission didn't help at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of story fluff. That is all.

After leaving Shiro's quarters through the vent - Shiro just shaking his head in exasperation - Keith navigated his way down the dining room. It was already around 'midnight' by this point, most of the other's already asleep or - in Pidge and Hunk's case - doing what they did best. Inventing of course. Pidge would most likely still be tinkering with something in her lab, while Hunk _should be_ in the kitchen whipping up a new recipe.

Now decided on his target, Keith crawled out of the vents to stand in front of the dining table. He made his way down the hall towards the kitchen. Already, he could hear the quiet _clanking_ of cooking ware. As the sounds got louder the closer he got, the less confident Keith started to feel. His walk eventually slowed till he just stood silently in the hallway.

Even though he knew that Hunk would never try to purposefully hurt him, his nerves were getting the better of him. Logic meant nothing in the wake of his doubts, no matter how baseless they were.

He listened to Hunk's gentle hums, allowing himself to build up some courage. Shiro's words echoed in his mind, egging him on.

Keith took a deep breath and took a hesitant step forward, then another.

Keith stood quietly in the kitchen's doorway, tail tucked nervously between his legs. The half-galra just stared at the floor, ears flattened against his skull, hands trembling minutely. 

All sound within the kitchen ceased almost immediately.

Hunk had turned around to see someone - he absentmindedly recognized them as Keith - just standing within the open doorway, trying to make themselves appear small. Keith's shoulders were hunched up, head lowered a bit, and frame quivering.

Hunk stared as his teammate for a solemn moment before throwing his arms wide in a silent gesture. Keith risked a hesitant glance up. Hunk just smiled patiently. 

Keith unwrapped his arms from around himself, taking a slow step forward. His tail swayed gently behind him, brushing the ground, as he was reassured Hunk wasn't repulsed at the sight of him. Stepping into Hunk's open arms, Keith let himself fall against Hunk's chest. The yellow paladin said nothing, only gently wrapping his arms around Keith. 

Keith sighed in relief at the comforting warmth encasing him. He allowed his eyes to slip shut for just a moment, soaking in the given affection. 

Unbidden, a quiet purr rumbled in his chest. 

Hunk glanced down in surprise at the soft noise. Keith looked like he was perfectly content to stay locked in his embrace. Before Hunk could comment, Keith's eyes shot wide open, the red paladin struggling out of the hug. 

Keith's yellow-purple eyes filled with dread as he clutched a hand against his throat. Hunk raised his hands as to not spook the obviously frightened paladin. He took a slow step forward. 

Keith bolted, not bothering to slow down until he was locked up in his room.

...

Almost a half an hour later, there was soft knocking on his door.

Keith really didn't feel like getting out of bed to face the music. He was still debating on whether he should get up or not when someone rapped on his door again. Judging by the slight ring of metal against metal, he could safely assume it was Shiro on the other side.

He knew he wasn't going to get out of this now.

Keith reluctantly dragged himself from the blankets and unlocked his door. It slid open to reveal exactly who he thought would be there. Shiro still had his hand raised as if to knock again. Keith just turned to walk back to his bed. He waited until Shiro was sitting next to him to speak.

"Any particular reason you're not sleeping right now?" Keith already knew why Shiro was here. Denial was just a good coping mechanism for him.

"Hunk told me what happened. He didn't want to make you more upset, so he's staying away until you're ready."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run away from him. I-I was just confused. I had thought that the transformation was only appearance-wise. I didn't...I didn't think I would change so much. Am I even _part_ human anymore?" Keith looked up with unshed tears in his eyes, a low keening whine escaping his throat.

Shiro didn't know how to answer that question. All he could do was pull Keith into a hug. Keith gripped the back of Shiro's shirt tightly, trying to hold back the tears. It was all for not when Shiro rested a gentle hand between his ears.

Keith cried quietly into Shiro's chest, clinging desperately to him.

...

It had been a while since Keith had quieted. Shiro risked a glance at the figure resting against his chest. Keith wasn't sleeping as he first thought, rather his eyes were half-lidded from being emotionally drained as he stared out at nothing. Shiro shifted, encouraging the other to look up at him. He gave the hybrid a sad smile, taking Keith's hand and rubbing soothing circles onto his knuckles.

In response, Keith slowly leaned away from Shiro, straightening his back to sit up properly. He stared down at their joined hands in a detached manner, neither pulling away nor completely acknowledging it.  
Shiro sighed at the reaction. "Feeling any better?"

Keith just looked up at him for a minute, a blank expression on his face, before focusing on their hands again. "...Just tired."

Shiro took that as his cue, pulling Keith into another hug. "Just remember, we're all here for you. So go at your own pace. We won't rush you and," Shiro paused, pulling back to make sure Keith was focusing on him, "I'm not planning on leaving you anytime soon. I'll be there when you need me."

Keith perked up a bit at those words, trying and ultimately failing in giving Shiro a smile. It came out more of a grimace than anything, but Shiro appreciated the effort. With a light chuckle, he gently tousled Keith's hair and stood from the bed. He walked over to the door.

He turned and smiled tenderly. "Goodnight, Keith."

"Night, Shiro...and thanks."

\------

Later that morning, Keith woke up to his stomach growling.

Now that he thinks about it, the only thing he ate yesterday was that snack bar, and after all that emotional drama, no wonder he's starving right now. He'll need to eat something if he's gonna get through today's set of worries.

He took a shower, getting rid of the tear stains and any lingering dust his fur might have picked up from the vents. Properly drying his fur was becoming a real hassle with just a towel, and brushing his fangs took forever. Unfortunately, this was now his life, so he needed to suck it up and _maybe_ ask Lance to borrow his hairdryer later. 

Maybe.

After throwing on some comfortable clothes that would let his fur air-dry, Keith snuck out of his room and down to the kitchen. He stepped through the doorway, seeing Hunk turned away from him and dishing up some green goo.

He drew in a deep breath and steeled his resolve. "Hunk?"

Said yellow paladin startled from the sudden voice, nearly dropping the bowl in his hand. He whipped around. "Uh, yeah Keith?" He was honestly not expecting Keith to come find him so soon.

Keith wrung his hands nervously, the tip of his canine tooth digging into the corner of his bottom lip. "I, uh. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to run from you. And...um, I - sorry, I'm kinda bad with apologies."

Hunk chuckled at his teammate's awkwardness. "We already knew that, buddy. And you really don't need to apologise. I know this whole 'turning purple' business is new for you, all of us really, but no one's gonna criticize you for that."

"Does that mean we're good?" Keith looked up with a hopeful expression. Coupled with the twitching ears and the swaying tail, Hunk was hard-pressed not to immediately bear hug the smaller male.

"Of course, man! I was more worried about you." Hunk held out his fist. Keith took one look at the outstretched appendage and smiled. He bumped their fists together and made to speak up when his stomach growled.

Keith ducked his head in sheepishness, Hunk snickering behind his hand. "How 'bout a fresh bowl of goo?"

Keith just nodded, sitting at the kitchen bar. A bowl of green goop was set down in front of him. "Thanks." He immediately dug into his meal. Though the food goo tasted more bland than usual, he powered on through, too hungry to really care at the moment. Plus, he's tasted worse in his life.

Keith sat back after he finished, just listening to the sounds of Hunk puttering about the kitchen. He got up to wash his bowl before turning back to Hunk. "So, do you where everyone else would be right now?"

Hunk looked up from putting away the already dried dishes in their cupboards. "They might be in the lounge area. I mean we don't have a mission right now. Any reason you asked?"

"I think I just want to get this whole thing over with." Keith ran a clawed hand through already disheveled hair, bemoaning the upcoming situation but resolved to just get it off of his chest. Hunk just smiled at his friend's attitude, happy that Keith hadn't lost his spunk in the wake of his adversity.

"Well, I was gonna head there soon. Can I join you?" Keith just nodded with a relieved grin on his face.

...

They made their way down to the lounge, silence reigning over them. Keith was just trying to not lose his nerve and Hunk didn't want to push him anymore. The duo stopped outside of the lounge doors, just staring at the only thing separating them from the rest of the team.

Hunk looked down at Keith. "Want me to head in first?"

Keith inhaled deeply, releasing a shaky breath before nodding gratefully. "Thanks, Hunk."

"No problem, dude." With that Hunk stepped forward, the doors automatically sliding open for them to step through. Everyone was gathered in the room, splayed out on the floors and couches, keeping themselves entertained. They all looked over as Hunk stepped in, throwing casual greetings at the yellow paladin before turning back to whatever they were doing.

Only Pidge, who was about to drag Hunk into the argument she was having with Lance, noticed Keith standing behind him. She gasped in shock. Everyone else paused, looking at her stunned expression, before turning towards what she was staring at. Hunk shuffled to the side so that Keith was on full display.

Keith froze, tail curling behind him, eyes widening and pupils dilating. His eyes darting to the team's shocked expressions before landing on Shiro. Shiro, leaning against a wall to his right, nodded encouragingly at him. He gulped discreetly before clearing his throat. "Umm, hi?"

He could see Shiro face-palming himself in the corner of his eye. Wasn't that his right hand too? That probably had to hurt. Keith ignored Shiro rubbing his now sore face, instead turning his attention to the others in the room.

Pidge had leapt up almost instantly, crowding around him. Before Keith could flinch back at the abrupt closeness, she had already grabbed his hand, running her fingers over the striped fur on his arms. "Uhh...Pidge?"

She merely shushed him, continuing her observations. He merely let her do what she wanted. At least she wasn't scared of him, so that was a win in his books. 

Keith looked towards the rest of the room. 

Lance still had that stupid gobsmacked expression on his face. Coran didn't look much different from normal - which makes sense, seeing as it was him that told them about Keith's transformation - he just had a sad smile on his face. Allura...well, Keith couldn't really tell _what_ she was thinking; there was only a stoic expression.

"Yo, dude! You're all fluffy, and purple! And did I mention fluffy already?!" And Lance was back. Said paladin strutted over and started poking at Keith. _Oh great_ , like having Pidge prod at him wasn't bad enough. By this point, Pidge was examining his feet. Maybe he should have worn shoes? Too late now.

Coran walked over, that somber smile still on his lips. "My, it has been many deca-phoebs since I have seen a galra kit."

Lance perked up at that. "A kit? You mean as in a baby animal?"

Coran nodded distractedly, twisting his mustache and not noticing Lance's growing smirk. He was too busy staring at the stripes on Keith's fur. "That's exactly right, Number Three. It looks like Keith would still be considered a kit amongst galra despite being nearly an adult in human biology. How odd."

Lance had already burst into teasing laughter. "Aww, wittle baby Keef. Do you want a bottle?" Lance doubled-over, laughing even harder as he clenched his sides. Hunk just covered his eyes, knowing it wasn't going to end well. Keith growled loudly, a hiss falling from bared teeth. Lance immediately wisened up, no longer laughing at the obvious threat and backing away.

Shiro stepped up to get Pidge before she could grab Keith's tail and make matters worse.

Before everything could dissolve into chaos, the clearing of a throat ceased all movement. Allura rose from her seat, calm gaze fixed squarely on Keith. She strode over, the only sound being the delicate sweep of her dress across the floor. "Keith."

Keith subconsciously straightened up at the call of his name, ears pressed against his skull, and his tail twitching in anticipation.

"I have already said this once, but I feel it necessary that I repeat myself. I am not upset with you, even if you now look like a galra. I have already set aside my grievances and accepted that the entire race should not be scorned for the sins of a few. I do apologise for ever making you feel as if you wouldn't be welcomed because of your parentage." Allura stepped closer, lifting her hand. Keith watched the movement. "May I?" Keith nodded silently. 

Allura settled her hand on Keith's cheek, just admiring the softness of his fur, before sliding the hand upwards. She threaded her fingers through his now dark purple hair, then touched his right ear. It twitched away from her touch before settling again.

Satisfied with Keith's apparent trust in her not to really hurt him, she drew her hand back, brushing a stray strand of her hair back before dropping it at her side. "Thank you."

Keith bowed his head, just grateful that all of his friends were okay with his appearance. He blinked away the moisture gathering in his eyes and instead gave everyone a small, but genuine smile. 

Hunk walked over and patted Keith on the back. "I told ya, dude. We're completely cool with it. You had nothing to worry about."

Keith smiled even wider up at Hunk. "Yeah. Yeah, you were right. Thanks, Hunk."

\------

"Hey. What are you still doing up?"

Shiro had walked onto the main deck. Keith was sitting in front of the glass wall panel, gazing out at the many stars surrounding them.

Keith looked up. "Oh hey, Shiro. Couldn't sleep either?"

"Nah." Shiro settled next to Keith, turning to watch the celestial bodies drifting by.

Keith glanced at Shiro's face. Even from the angle they sat at, and the dim lighting from space, Keith could see the shadows beneath Shiro's eyes. Keith frowned in sympathy. "Nightmares, huh?"

Shiro just sighed quietly, not bothering to take his eyes away from the glass. "Yeah. It was pretty bad tonight."

"Anything I can do?"

Shiro smiled warmly at that. He turned his head to look directly at Keith, trying to convey how grateful he was. "No, not really. But, I wouldn't mind your company for a bit."

Keith leaned back onto his hands, returning the smile. They both turned their attention back to the cosmos. A companionable silence descended over them, the pair just enjoying each other's company. A few minutes later, Shiro broke the quiet atmosphere. "How did you feel about today?"

Keith was quiet for a moment, before he spoke up, a vulnerable note underlying his words.

“Even if I am accepted by the others, I’ll never be able to return to Earth. Not looking as I am. We fear what we don’t understand, and hate what we fear. They would probably be clamoring to kill me if they don’t want to dissect me first.” Here, Keith turned a venerate look on Shiro. 

“It’s not so bad though. My only connection to Earth was my dad’s old shack…and you.” Keith smiled shyly up at his older brother. 

Shiro was shocked for a moment, just replaying those words in his mind. He knew that Keith was fond of him, extremely so - and the same could be said of him about Keith - but he didn’t think that Keith would ever say so out loud. 

The black paladin smiled fondly at the younger, his expression softening as he ruffled Keith’s hair. He drew the other into a tight hug, gently scratching at Keith’s scalp. The hybrid just purred quietly against Shiro, the sound vibrating through his chest, content to just be held by his family.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days, Keith was hardly left alone. His team wanted to ensure that he really did understand that they weren’t going to shun him. 

It was almost as if they had a set rotation. There was always at _least_ one person with him nearly at all times. 

Which is all well and good, because Keith actually appreciated the company. It made him feel at peace with himself, something he never really felt before, not even when he still _looked_ human. He especially enjoyed the times when everyone was free to hang out together, in the lounge, or the main deck, or even the dining room. 

Keith just liked being able to hear the quiet breathing of his teammates around him. It soothed the old scars left behind by his parents abandoning him, and Shiro disappearing on that Kerberos mission. 

When he was younger, being passed around foster homes as the "problem child" meant Keith was always trying to prove himself to those around him. It was only when he was taken in by Shiro’s family, when he _finally_ had someone who _**believed**_ in him, that he could let himself smile again, to laugh freely without a care for even just one moment. 

This team was his family now, and he’ll be damned if anything happens to it on his watch.

\------

Lance was curious. And when Lance gets curious, he gets IDEAS™.

He really wanted to know how soft the fur on Keith’s tail was. So he set out on his new mission objective: ‘Operation: Get Some Tail’ ( _He really needs to come up with some better code names_ ). 

Everyone was piling into the kitchen for breakfast that morning. Allura and Coran were sitting at the bar counter, sipping some tea. Shiro was leaning against a wall, while Hunk was whipping up some fresh food. 

And there was his target, chattering away with Allura, none-the-wiser. 

Lance glanced back at Pidge behind him. She gave him a grim nod and salute, holding a video camera in her other hand. He gave her a serious expression, returning the salute. She almost lost it right then and there, having to stifle the giggles threatening to break free. 

Lance turned back to peek through the doorway. His target was still oblivious to his intent. 

_Perfect._

He crept forward, slowing his pace when Keith’s ears twitched in his direction. He kept his breathing slow, making as little sound as physically possible. His target was swaying in contentment; it was now within his reach. Lance drew in a silent breath and _lunged_. 

He managed to grab a hold of the tail before it was ripped out of his hands. ‘Wow, it really _is_ soft.’

A surprised _yip_ was heard before Keith whirled around. He dropped into a low crouch, fur bristling and claws digging into the floor. Keith’s tail lashed in irritation and warning, his fangs now bared for everyone to see how sharp they were. 

Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, a loud _hiss_ making everyone freeze. Lance, finally putting those self-preservation skills to good use, backed away slowly with his hands raised in the universal sign of surrender. 

When faced with gleaming fangs, and how willing Keith might be to _actually maul him to death_ \- well, maybe not to _death_ , but pretty damn close - Lance would rather not take his chances. 

Pidge all the while was laughing hysterically in the background. 

Shiro, as the usual mediator, walked over to stand beside a still crouched Keith. He placed a hand on Keith’s head, the ears once pinned against his skull now relaxing into their usual perked position. Purring could be heard coming from Keith, but his narrowed gaze was still set on Lance. 

Keith had to remind himself; this was his family now, _all_ members included, even if he wanted to scratch a certain _**someone’s**_ eyes out. ‘Patience yields focus, Keith. Just keep telling yourself that and you probably won’t commit first-degree murder. _Probably_.'

Thankfully, Hunk - being the hero Lance needed but didn't deserve - brought out bowls of porridge for everyone. With food within his line of sight, Keith immediately forgot about Lance, eagerly awaiting his breakfast. Lance breathed a silent sigh of relief, mentally sending his thanks to Hunk.

As if aware, Hunk glanced at Lance from over his shoulder and winked at him. _What would Lance do without Hunk around to save him?_

...

After breakfast, Keith headed into the lounge to take a nap. Finding the single armchair free, he settled into it, curling up so that his feet could hang over one of the armrests. He dozed quietly for a while.

The sound of the door opening dragged him out of his light sleep. Keeping his eyes closed, he listened as the footsteps approached. Judging by how light the footfalls were, Keith figured it had to either be Pidge or Allura. Whoever it was, they were right next to him now.

Peeking a single eye opened, he was greeted by bright orange-red hair. So it _was_ Pidge. "What are you doing?"

Pidge froze, the arm reaching towards his feet pausing in mid-air. She giggled nervously, pulling her arm behind her back, "Nothing. Why would you ask that?"

Keith eyed her suspiciously for a moment, Pidge returning the stare steadily. He lifted his leg, his foot now at eye-level with her. Her fingers twitched at her sides. He smirked at the reaction. "Go ahead if you want to. You could have just asked you know."

She raised one hand and slowly reached out. Her fingers came into contact with the toe pads on the bottom of his foot. A huge smile split her face, an intrigued gleam now in her shamrock green gaze. Pidge used both hands to grab his foot; Keith had to quickly grab the armrest to avoid getting dragged out of the chair. She used her thumbs to press the pads.

It was obvious she was having fun at his expense.

"They feel just like my cat's toe beans! They're so _squishy_!" At Keith's weirded out expression, Pidge recomposed herself, still not letting his foot go. "Ahem, I mean they have a similar texture and appearance to a cat's paw pads. Anyway, thank you for letting me examine them." She looked reluctant to let them go but backed away, waving to Keith and speed-walking out the door. Keith just sighed in fond exasperation, settling back down for another quick nap.

Meanwhile, Pidge leaned against the door, her face in her hands as she tried not to squeal in delight. She _touched_ the toe beans. _She actually touched the toe beans!_

The best moment in her life quite frankly.

She straightened up, heading down to Green's hangar, acting as if nothing happened.

...

Keith has noticed that ever since the transformation, he has been enjoying having the others around him more, going as far as to actively seek them out if he is left alone for too long.

He knows that he has always been something of a loner, avoiding getting too close to other people and forming bonds that were destined to break down. The only person he liked spending any of his free time with was Shiro. And then when they got trapped in space, having the others around every now and again was nice too.

But now, with base instincts now calling out to him, he finds that being alone can be mildly distressing. Sometimes, it's even hard to fall asleep if no one is around. That was the main reason why he preferred to take naps during the 'daylight hours' when everyone would be up and about, and he can find someone to at least stay in the same room with room while he naps. At night, he'll just wander around the ship, hang out and talk with Red, or ask Shiro if he can stay with him if Keith is especially tired.

\------

It was another night spent trying to keep himself busy, ignoring the crushing thoughts of loneliness and the howling of his heart to surround himself with his family, that he first felt it.

While exploring the abandoned upper decks of the castle ship, Keith found cabinet upon cabinet of blankets, pillows, and other soft materials. When he reached in and felt how soft the blankets were, an odd feeling enveloped him, his instincts urging him to build 'nests' where he is most comfortable. 

With a sudden new focus, Keith gathered up as many materials as he could, forgoing the vent passageways to instead run to his room. On silent feet, he made several trips back and forth between his room and the upper deck. Now with every pillow, blanket and stuffed animal that he could find laid out on his floor, Keith let his instincts guide him.

The kitchen, dining room, lounge area, main bridge, Red's hangar, Pidge's lab, the _training deck_ ; anywhere that he felt safe or where the others spend most of their time now had a nest. They were simple constructions, just sheets and blankets laid down and propped up to form a circular base, with pillows and stuffed animals to sleep on and cuddle with.

Keith stepped back from the last nest he built, proud of his handy work. Now, whenever he wanted to take his daily naps, he could do so in complete and utter comfort.

The lights in the castle started brightening, signaling the dawn of a new day. 

Keith yawned, tired from the constant running around he did for the entire night. He curled up on his newly built nest within the kitchen, pleased that it was already being put to good use.

Hunk walked in not too long after Keith dozed off, the red paladin too tired to properly greet him, only acknowledging that he was a safe presence before drifting into a deeper sleep. Hunk puttered around the kitchen, starting the morning meals.

He had been at work for a while when he went to retrieve an ingredient from the cupboard. It was only by chance that he noticed the large purple lump sleeping in a corner. Hunk bit his lip, muffling the surprised yelp, pressing a hand to his chest; his heart fluttering when he was startled. Noticing that it was Keith, who was peacefully sleeping, he breathed a silent breath of relief.

Hunk walked over, crouching down when he got close. Keith's ear twitched in his direction before settling again. Hunk smiled softly at his teammate. He reached out, pulling the blanket to cover Keith more securely; Keith unconsciously snuggled deeper into the blanket, a quiet purr rumbling in his chest.

Hunk stood up again, throwing himself back into his cooking, now accompanied with the echoes of Keith's contentment to reassure him.

...

When everyone else saw just _how many_ nests Keith had managed to build, the only question on their minds was _'Where the heck did he find all those blankets?'_

\------

Keith's favourite nest had to be the secret one he built in his room.

Behind a hidden panel, in the wall of his closet, he has a personal nest filled with clothing items from _everyone_ on the ship - shirts from Shiro, Lance and Pidge, a bandana from Hunk, a hair ribbon from Allura, and one of Coran's gloves. They have no clue and Keith wants it to stay that way. 

When he doesn't feel like walking around the ship all night long, he would settle into that nest. Since it has everyone's scents on it, he can close his eyes and pretend the others are there. Sometimes, he can fall asleep like that.

"Hey Pidge, have you seen my favourite shirt? I've looked everywhere for it." 

"No Lance, I haven't. I'm a little busy right now. Go ask someone else." Pidge didn't even look up at Lance, too busy fiddling with her latest gadget. All the while, Keith - currently curled around Pidge - was trying his best not to look suspicious until Lance left. 

He breathed a quiet sigh. Good, he hasn't been caught yet-

"You stole it, didn't you? Along with one of mines?"

-Scratch that, she knew. _She definitely knew._

"Umm, no?" Pidge turned her head. He quickly looked elsewhere, knowing if he made eye-contact, it would all be over for him. Her glasses glinted ominously. He gulped nervously, offering her his hand. She took the outstretched appendage, poking and prodding the pads on his fingers and palm.

Without turning away from her new source of amusement, she said to him, "All is forgiven."

He didn't say anything more, hoping to keep her distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Galra are basically giant humanoid space cats and you can't tell me otherwise. *Casually ignoring S3/4/5.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that this took so long to come out. With more work days to contend with and my insatiable urge to do digital art, finding time to sit down and write has become difficult. I hope to have the next chapter out faster than this one but I make no promises.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

"Keith, you need to eat something." Keith just stared at the offered bowl of goo before shutting his eyes, curling up tighter in his nest in the lounge area.

It has been nearly three weeks since they had to worm-hole away from a patroling battleship. Unfortunately, while they upgraded the castle's defenses and weapons, they were left to drift among the stars. At the end of that first week, they ran low on fresh ingredients, having to mainly resort to a food goo based diet. And that's all it was for a while, just green goop day-in-day-out.

While that was fine with everyone else for a while, Keith's health started taking a slow downward spiral. Keith hadn’t been looking too well for the last three days either.

He had started slowing down after a while, sluggish in his every movement, takings naps more often than not, and just generally being more moody. Everyone just figured that he was getting angsty from staying in the castle for so long. At least, that was what they thought until they noticed some of the more physical signs as to Keith's health condition. It had become even more apparent when Keith's fur started dulling, an almost washed-out hue adorning the once bright fur. He also began shedding everywhere.

He then became despondent as time went on, barely wanting to move from one place.

The evening before, he had stumbled into the nest, curled up, and hadn't moved since. Now he simply refused to get up or eat. It was honestly concerning the team. They knew this was unlike Keith; the same person who always preferred to move around, not bothering to stay in one spot for too long.

Pidge sat down next to the curled up Keith. "Come on, Keith. Everyone's worried about you. Eat even a bite or two." Keith only opened one eye, peering through a half-lid first at Pidge's openly worried expression, then up to Lance holding the bowl, eyebrows drawn in obvious concern. Keith sighed at that, not wanting to make the team worry over him, but he just couldn't help it. Keith could barely stomach the food goo now. The wholly plant-based goop didn’t seem to be agreeing with his new digestive track. Even the mere thought of the food goo ruined his appetite; combine that with his waning strength, he couldn't even attempt to haul himself up into a seated position.

What they wanted from him just seemed impossible.

Lance stepped back, looking over his shoulder at Hunk, shaking his head. Hunk's hopeful expression deflated immediately, the yellow paladin dejected at the outcome of the situation. Pidge just sighed, knowing they couldn't force the food down his throat no matter how much they really wanted to. She just pulled the blanket higher on Keith's shoulders, noticing the other starting to shiver.

Keith let out a soft purr of thanks. He appreciated Pidge and the others being around, keeping him company no matter how stubborn he got. A large hand settled on his head, smoothing back his hair. Recognizing the familiar scent as Shiro's own, Keith used the last bit of energy he had to nuzzle the other's palm, a silent gesture of appreciation and love. 

He dozed off after that.

Shiro stood back up from his crouch, watching his younger brother sleep for a minute before heading down to the training deck. He needed to blow off a bit of steam. Though he wasn't mad at Keith, the frustration of not being able to help his brother, of only helplessly watching as the other's health took a dive, was starting to get to him.

...

A few hours later, Coran went down to the lounge. He wanted to see if he could get Keith to at least drink some tea. He kneeled down next to the red paladin and gently shook his shoulder, hoping to rouse him from his slumber. "Number Four, it's time to awaken." When no response came, Coran shook his shoulder a bit harder. "Number Four?"

There was no response, not even a twitching ear to indicate Keith heard him. Coran pressed two fingers against the side of Keith's neck, searching for a pulse. And waited. After a few nerve-wracking moments of no movements, he finally felt it. A flutter and then a steady beat, albeit faint.

Not wasting any more time, Coran scooped Keith into a bridal hold, speed-walking down the halls towards the med bay. 

On his way there, he passed Shiro who had just exited the training deck and was heading back to his quarters. "Coran?"

"Can't stop to chat right now." Seeing the limp figure cradled in Coran's arms, Shiro quickly followed behind. The two stepped into the med bay, Coran already setting up a healing pod with Shiro helping. The two worked quietly and efficiently, having Keith in the confines of the pod within five minutes. Coran started typing into the central console.

Shiro stood back, watching Keith's chest as the red paladin breathed shallowly. Without turning his eyes away, he directed his question to Coran, "Do you know what happened?"

Coran continued typing, absent-mindedly answering the other as he concentrated on the information filling the screen before him. "I am still unsure as to that myself. It is not due to a physical injury, that is certain. Unfortunately, that means that there is little that the pod can actually do for him. Right now, it is only stabilizing his condition and keeping him in stasis until we figure out where to go from here."

Shiro walked closer to the pod, laying a hand on the glass separating him from Keith. He clenched his fist, his nails biting into the palm of his left hand. "I should have done more. I noticed something off about him but I still stood idly by when he needed me most. I'm sorry, Keith." Though knowing he couldn't hear him, Shiro still felt it necessary to apologize for his lack of foresight, for seeing that there was something wrong and still doing nothing about it.

Coran stepped around the console, walking closer and resting a hand on Shiro's shoulder. Shiro turned his head, seeing just how affected Coran also was. "It is not a fault to place solely on your own shoulders. We all saw the signs but ignored them, hoping that denial would eventually see us to the resolution of this growing problem. We will all take the fall for this one." Coran gave Shiro's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, a determined glint igniting his aged eyes. "But worry not. This situation has yet to become irreversible. We shall bear the burdens together and right the wrongs."

Shiro hesitated, glancing over at Keith's face. He narrowed his eyed with resolve, nodding at Coran. "Yeah, yeah you're right. Thanks, Coran."

"My pleasure, Number One. Now we must make quick plans to get to the Marmora base. They may be able to help us."

"Do you think the ship can handle a jump right now?"

Coran twirled his mustache between gloved fingers in contemplation. He nodded. "Yes, I do believe this old girl can handle it. Once we have Keith's condition sorted out, I can finish any upgrades and minor repairs."

"I'll let Allura know we need to prepare for the jump."

"Alright. I will continue monitoring Keith. I will try to see if I can do anything more for him." Shiro nodded, thankful for Coran, before heading towards the bay's doors. He got one last look at Keith's peaceful expression before leaving.

He jogged through the halls, heading up to the main bridge, hoping that Allura would be up there. When he arrived, Allura stood on the central platform, scanning the surrounding areas for possible threats. She glanced back, hearing the doors slide open. Seeing the serious expression on Shiro's face clued her in that something was wrong. Skipping any greetings and pleasantries, she asked what was on her mind, "What happened? Is it Keith?"

Getting straight to the point, Shiro nodded an affirmative. Allura's eyes widened in unease at the revelation but steeled herself, knowing that Shiro wouldn't leave Keith's side just to tell her that. "What do you need me to do?"

"We need to get to the Marmora's main ship as soon as possible."

Allura nodded. She turned back to the holographic display and spoke clearly, "All paladins, prepare for a hyper-jump in five minutes." Without further delay, she started preparing the castle to go through the worm-hole.

She brought up another display and sent a message through. Within the minute, Ulaz's image was displayed. "Princess Allura, a pleasure as always. What do you need of me?"

"Keith, our red paladin, has fallen ill and we suspect it may have something to do with his galran heritage. We seek your assistance in figuring out his diagnosis."

Ulaz nodded. "I offer my services to the young blade. Come as close as you can to the base, I will pilot a ship out to meet you. How soon should I expect you?"

"We are about to enter a worm-hole. We should arrive in less than two doboshes. Thank you for this."

"I shall see you then." Ulaz's visage faded as the screen went blank. Allura nodded at Shiro, Shiro nodding back. 

Lance, Pidge, and Hunk stumbled through the door. "Why are we jumping?" 

"I also can't find Keith! He's not in the lounge or his room." Shiro rested a gentle hand on Pidge's head.

"We're going to make sure he's going to be okay." And with that, Allura directed the castle through the worm-hole.

\------

They arrived next to the Marmora HQ, though they had to keep their distance from the two black holes. A small craft then approached. They all headed down to the docking bay to greet Ulaz. They arrived to find the doctor exiting the ship, pushing along a floating stretcher. "Greetings paladins, can you direct me to the patient?"

Shiro gestured for the other to follow him, guiding him down to the med bay, the rest of the paladins and Allura following behind. Pidge, Lance, and Hunk glanced at each other at Ulaz's words, understanding just who they were talking about.

As they piled into the med bay, they could see Coran standing next to Keith's pod having already anticipated their arrival. 

Ulaz was taken aback for a moment, not having expected the sight of what obviously looked like a galra and a kit at that. He shook his head, focusing back on the situation at hand; he could contemplate this new discovery at a later time.

Ulaz and Coran nodded short greetings to each other, just quietly maneuvering Keith from the healing pod onto the stretcher. Coran shook Ulaz's hand in quiet gratitude. Ulaz squeezed the other's hand in acknowledgement and reassurance.

When Ulaz loaded Keith into the craft, he looked over to see Shiro climbing into his lion. Ulaz raised a brow, "What are you planning to do?"

"I'm following you in." Shiro stared straight at Ulaz, daring him to tell him otherwise. 

Ulaz just sighed, knowing which battles are worth the fight and understanding this wasn't one of them. "Alright, just keep close to my ship."

"I'm going too." Surprisingly, it was Lance who first declared that, quickly followed by the accompanying statements of both Hunk and Pidge. All four paladins piled into the black lion, ready to head off. Ulaz just settled into his seat, nodding to Allura and Coran who was seeing them off.

...

While Ulaz examined Keith, the other paladins were forced to stand around outside the med bay, waiting on any news. Shiro stood like a silent sentinel, gaze always on the door, never wavering. Pidge sat on the floor beside him, leaning against his legs, as she tried to think of new project ideas to keep her mind off the situation. Hunk stood by, shuffling his feet anxiously, while Lance continually paced up and down the hall.

The heavy silence was about to drive Lance mad when the _swoosh_ of the med bay doors alerted them. All eyes landed on Ulaz, who had a pensive look on his face. Lance bounded towards him first. "Did you find out what happened?"

"It seems that Keith is suffering from starvation and a severe lack of nutrients. I have him on an IV drip at the moment to replace these vital nutrients. How did he even get into this state?"

Hunk stepped forward then, a guilty expression on his face. "He hasn't been eating for the past two days. And even before that, he hasn't been eating a lot for the past week or so. We didn't have any left-over ingredients, so we have been mainly eating food goo these past few weeks."

Ulaz raised an interested eyebrow at that. _"Food...goo?"_

"Uhh yeah. It's this green gooey stuff. It's completely edible, and 'cause it's made from plants, it is a good source of fiber."

"And you have been eating this 'goo' consistently?" At Hunk's nod, Ulaz stroked his chin in contemplation. "I need a sample to test. Shall we head back to the Castle of Lions then?"

...

Once Hunk and Ulaz arrived back on base, Ulaz took the food goo he had brought back with him into the med bay's lab.

He soon approached the paladins with his findings.

“I understand that humans are omnivorous creatures but can subsist almost solely on plant-based foods. Unfortunately, even a half galra like Keith cannot do the same. I have examined this ‘food goo’ you have been referring to and I find it to a have a disturbing lack of proteins. Though it may suffice for humans, it has too high a vegetable constitution for Keith. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying though. Make sure he gets enough servings of fruits and vegetables, he just needs it within a balanced diet.” 

Ulaz reached into the pocket of his lab coat, taking out a sealed bottle. He handed it to Hunk, knowing the yellow paladin was the one who doubled as the ship's chef. "You should keep these protein supplements on hand just in case. If something like this happens again, even mixing a few milligrams of this into your 'food goo' will help Keith's body to function properly until you can restock supplies."

"Thank you for doing this, Ulaz. We just couldn't figure out what was wrong." Shiro held out his hand.

Ulaz grasped Shiro's arm, Shiro doing the same to complete the forearm handshake. "You are our allies, and the little blade is one of us. We are always willing to assist."

"When will be able to take Keith back to the castle ship?" 

"I would like to keep him overnight for observation. I should be able to release him to you by tomorrow if everything goes well. I wish you all a good night, paladins. I shall see you all tomorrow then."

\------

"...Ulaz?" Ulaz looked away from the report he was skimming through to see that Keith had awoken. He set the papers down, moving to stand next to Keith's bedside.

"Hello, little blade. How are you feeling at the moment?" Keith, although confused at why he was in the Marmora's infirmary, decided to answer the question. He wiggled his toes and stretched his arms, testing his mobility. He yawned, working his jaw for a moment.

He turned his head to look up at Ulaz, moving to sit up. Ulaz helped him, propping up the pillows behind him. "I actually feel pretty alright. Still feel tired and I have a small headache."

Ulaz turned away to write onto a clipboard, humming as he thought over what Keith said. "Yes. That is normal. You'll be feeling tired for a while as your body recuperates from not having proper nourishment. Your appetite should also hopefully return by the next day or so."

Keith fiddled with the end of his shirt sleeve, looking around the infirmary and remembering his time in there after the Blade trials. He yawned again, his eyelids drooping as he fought to stay awake. Ulaz noticed and smiled gently at the kit. "You do not have to fight to stay awake any longer. Rest for now; your team will be here to see you in the morning."

Keith slumped down further onto the bed, finding a comfortable spot to curl up on. He yawned again, his eyes falling shut and the end of his tail flicking in content. Ulaz fixed the blanket to properly cover Keith. He stood there for a moment, still in slight awe that he could once again see a galra kit like in the old days.

His mood darkened at the thought. This was why he was a part of the Blade of Marmora, why they were _all_ fighting against Zarkon's reign. He made a promise to himself, he would cherish Keith and help to make a future where other kits are born out of their parents' love, not just for the continuation of the species or as Zarkon's foot soldiers.

...

"KEITH!" Pidge almost tackled the red paladin as she ran to hug him.

"Woah! Heya Pidgeon. What's all the rush about?" Keith returned the hug, ruffling her hair. Pidge sniffled, softly slapping his hand away, an angry pot on her lips.

She pointed up at him, "What do you _mean_ 'what's all the rush about'? You could have _died_ , you idiot! And it could have been _all our faults_." Keith hugged her tighter, a rumbling purr building in his chest to calm her panicked tears. She relaxed against him, hiding her face in his torso. Keith looked up to see Hunk and Lance standing there, the yellow paladin having an especially guilty expression on his face as he shuffled his feet. Keith smiled gently at him, already knowing how hard Hunk can take things to heart. He reached out a hand, an open invitation to join the hug.

Hunk sniffled a bit, eagerly grabbing Pidge and Keith into a bear hug. "I'm so, so sorry, Keith! I didn't know. I could have _killed_ you!" Keith just patted Hunk's shoulder from where he was pressed tightly against the other's chest.

"I know, buddy. It's fine. You didn't mean for this to happen so there's nothing to worry about." Hunk just squeezed harder, Pidge squirming to get out of the death hold.

Lance smirked at Keith and Pidge's misfortune, a mischievous chuckle escaping his lips. Pidge and Keith both locked onto him, eyes narrowing at his obvious amusement at their situation. They glanced at each other and nodded, understanding passing between them. They both got one arm free from Hunk's hold and grabbed Lance who stood too close to them.

Without warning, he was yanked off his feet and into Hunk's all-encompassing embrace. He glared at the two smug expressions on either side of him. "I hate you two, you know that?" Keith and Pidge just snickered, high-fiving over Lance's head.

Shiro stood back with Ulaz, just taking in the happy scene, at ease now that Keith was at least looking much better than he had looked only a matter of hours before. "He is definitely much brighter this morning. I supplied him with some vitamins to kick-start his system and get him back on track. Don't be too alarmed if he gets tired easily and wants to sleep. It will take a few weeks for him to fully recover. I will be taking the liberty of making an in-home visit to the castle of lions in a month's time."

Shiro turned and gripped Ulaz's arm with a firm grip to convey his gratitude, Ulaz returning the sentiment. "Thank you for saving my little brother, Ulaz. I don't know what I would do if I lost him or the others. They're the only family I have left to cling to."

Ulaz nodded his head in complete understanding. "The Blades are also all I have left. I can sympathize with you on that. Keith too is considered a part of my family. I will help to protect him with my life. Take him back to the castle-ship and let him settle in. Also, try to encourage him to eat something; Hunk will know what to do if you still cannot obtain fresh ingredients at the moment. I wish you luck paladin and I shall see you in time."

"Thanks again, Ulaz. Take care of yourself." Shiro walked over to the other four. By this point, Pidge and Lance had been released from the death hug. Keith, on the other hand, was dozing off, jolting himself back into wakefulness every few moments or so, still cradled in Hunk's arms. Shiro rubbed Keith's back, the other purring softly at the soothing sensation. "Glad to have you back, Keith. Was worried about you."

"Sorry...worry..you..." Though it was mumbled into Hunk's shoulder, Shiro caught the gist of what Keith was trying to say. He smiled at that.

"I'm sorry too, buddy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest of these chapters will be in honor of the sweetest cats I have ever worked with at the vet clinic. I love you Nugsy, Twixie, Roger, and Momo, my precious babies. I wish I could take you all home with me.


End file.
